Kiburi and Hopper have become friends with the help of trainers at San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Creating the bond

Janet Rose-Hinostroza says there are several keys to getting the cheetahs and dogs to become pals.

The process is slow, and in some ways provides a plan for people who want to introduce a new dog or cat to a home that already has one of the other species.

• First, the cheetahs and dogs are introduced at a young age, when both are very playful and have a good chance of bonding.

• Second, the introduction is made slowly. At the Safari Park, the dog is walked past a glass wall in the cheetah nursery so the young cat can see it and know “this creature exists on the planet,” says Rose-Hinostroza.

• Later, the animals are taken to a neutral area where they play with toys and trainers. Over several sessions, they get used to each other and start playing together. “Sometimes it’s the first meeting and sometimes it’s the 12th meeting, the cat decides, ‘I can take this leap of faith and I’m actually going to try to play with the dog,’ ” says Rose-Hinostroza. “Whether it’s going for the same toy the dog’s playing with or just letting the dog approach and not hissing at it, the cat takes that leap of faith.”

• Next, the cheetah and dog spend time together in their own areas, first supervised and then on their own. Usually in less than six months the dog and cheetah are full-time companions.

ESCONDIDO  It’s a hot day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and Kiburi the cheetah is sitting on a patch of grass in the shade of a tree, surrounded by people he doesn’t know.

Ordinarily, the crowd might be cause for concern for a big, 80-pound animal that would rather run first and ask questions later.

But on this day, Kiburi is one cool cat, purring loudly and looking comfortable on a leash held by his trainer, Janet Rose-Hinostroza.

Though a reporter and photographer hover over him and park visitors have gathered to watch him up close, Kiburi is primed for neither fight nor flight. He sits flicking his tail while taking cues from his buddy Hopper, a former pound puppy whose job it is to be a full-time cheetah companion.

Hopper, a 45-pound shepherd mix, appears happy, his tongue protruding through a canine smile as he surveys the scene.

“His instinct is going to start telling him to move away, be on guard,” says Rose-Hinostroza, referring to Kiburi. “But having the relationship with Hopper, before he just listens to his instinct and growls and hisses at everybody and runs away, he looks at the dog and says, ‘What do you think?’ And it’s that relaxed demeanor of the dog, the ears perked up, the wagging tail, and the cheetahs absolutely buy it.

“Even though they’re not a dog, they go, ‘You’re saying it’s OK.’ And of course they can read that body language. … It is innate; it is instinctive for them to read that body language of a dog and get comforted by it.”